Top Budget Soundbars for 2025: Affordable Sound Quality

Looking for budget soundbars that deliver impressive audio without breaking the bank? Check out our guide on the best soundbars of 2025 to enhance your home entertainment experience.

Introduction to Budget Soundbars

Equipping your home theater with a quality sound system doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Luckily, you can find a great soundbar that significantly enhances your TV and movie-watching experience without emptying your wallet. Even the most affordable soundbars manage to deliver excellent performance, especially if you're a fan of dialogue-heavy content like TV shows, podcasts, or audiobooks. Whether you're in the market for a soundbar with a subwoofer for those action-packed films or a compact soundbar that fits neatly under your television, there’s something for everyone in this price range.

Best Budget Soundbars: Detailed Overview

Best Overall Budget Soundbar

Hisense AX5125H

• Mixed Usage: 7.7
• Dialogue/TV Shows: 7.9
• Music: 7.6
• Movies: 7.6
• Channels: 5.1.2

The standout budget soundbar we tested is the Hisense AX5125H. This model is one of the few in its price segment that comes with satellite speakers for rear channels, enhancing the immersive experience by placing you in the center of the action. The 5.1.2 soundbar configuration features upward-firing drivers for object-based formats like Dolby Atmos, creating the height effect that’s often missing in cheaper soundbars. Meanwhile, the external subwoofer produces powerful low-frequency bass, perfect for thrilling blockbusters and heavy music.

The mid-range frequencies are balanced for clear dialogue reproduction, with options to boost voices or experiment with equalizer presets and bass/treble controls. It supports most popular audio formats, including DTS, DTS:X-HD, and many Dolby Digital formats, which is impressive for a budget model. With a wide range of connections, including eARC, pass-through HDMI, and optical ports, you can utilize it as a wired entertainment hub. The only downsides in this price category include Bluetooth connectivity instead of Wi-Fi and the lack of smart features or apps, meaning all controls are on the remote. Overall, it’s a reliable option with minimal drawbacks suitable for all listening types.

Best Budget Soundbar Without Satellites

Samsung HW-B650

• Mixed Usage: 7.4
• Dialogue/TV Shows: 8.1
• Music: 7.7
• Movies: 6.8
• Channels: 3.1

If you’re short on space for extra speakers, the Samsung HW-B650 is worth considering. This soundbar comes with a separate subwoofer to enhance low-frequency playback, but you can also add additional speakers if desired, making it suitable for smaller areas. The 3.1 soundbar has a straightforward design with a central channel that provides clarity for your favorite films and shows. It’s well-built, and sound customization options like a graphic equalizer are available.

Unlike our top pick, the Hisense AX5125H, it lacks upward-firing drivers for maximizing formats like Dolby Atmos, but this isn’t a significant compromise for music and shows. A notable downside with soundbars that don’t have rear speakers is their conversion of 5.1 surround sound formats like Dolby Digital into stereo. This isn't an issue for casual viewers, but cinephiles seeking better surround sound might prefer investing in additional speakers or a more advanced model like the Samsung HW-B750D, which includes side channels for a broader soundstage. However, it’s not as loud as the HW-B650, making it less effective for music and television.

Best Standalone Budget Soundbar

Vizio M Series M213ad-K8

• Mixed Usage: 7.1
• Dialogue/TV Shows: 7.5
• Music: 7.1
• Movies: 6.8
• Channels: 2.1

Residing in a studio apartment or dealing with limited space? A standalone soundbar is a great alternative, as it consolidates audio into a single device. The Vizio M Series M213ad-K8 is the best affordable soundbar we've tested. Its unique trapezoidal design and 2.1 configuration make it perfect for stereo content, including most music tracks and TV shows. You’ll enjoy clear audio straight out of the box, making dialogues easy to understand.

Compared to the Samsung HW-B650, this soundbar doesn’t produce as much low-end bass, which is typical for models without a separate subwoofer. This might not be an issue if your primary content consists of dialogue-heavy shows, but for those who enjoy electronic dance music or hip-hop, it may not suffice. The bass enhancement tool can add depth to the sound, albeit it can’t adjust the low frequencies due to the absence of a subwoofer. Nevertheless, for those with space constraints, this can be an acceptable trade-off.

Best Compact Budget Soundbar

Samsung HW-S60D

• Mixed Usage: 7.3
• Dialogue/TV Shows: 7.8
• Music: 7.5
• Movies: 6.9
• Channels: 5.0

The Samsung HW-S60D is another excellent option for small living spaces, proving that a lower budget doesn’t mean sacrificing build quality. This standalone soundbar is smaller than the Vizio M Series M213ad-K8, measuring under 27 inches wide, ensuring it fits comfortably beneath your TV or computer. Built-in Alexa provides hands-free control, while Chromecast offers flexibility in tight spaces.

This soundbar delivers outstanding audio quality for its size, with features that enhance the sound experience. For instance, you can optimize the audio using a graphic equalizer. It supports various common audio formats, including 5.1 surround sound, and even supports Atmos, although it has to convert this content for playback. Without satellite speakers, the sound isn’t as immersive as devices like the Hisense AX5125H, but its smart features and reliable wireless connectivity might align better with your lifestyle. Despite its size, this compact soundbar impresses.

Best Cheap Soundbar

Hisense HS2100

• Mixed Usage: 6.9
• Dialogue/TV Shows: 7.6
• Music: 7.4
• Movies: 6.2
• Channels: 2.1

The Hisense HS2100 is the best value soundbar we tested for those looking to spend as little as possible. Priced around $100, it’s a solid option if you’re replacing your TV’s speakers with something more powerful. Unlike other soundbars in this price range, it includes a separate subwoofer that helps deliver bass during dynamic scenes and energetic beats. Dialogues and instruments still sound natural, though they lack a bit of sparkle. Fortunately, if the sound doesn’t suit your taste, there are several equalizer presets to help you get the most out of it.

Compared to higher-end models, this bar doesn’t offer many frills. While the sound is loud enough to fill a living room, both at normal and maximum volumes, compression artifacts can affect the clarity of your mixes. It also lacks satellite speakers, so the surround sound experience feels less immersive. However, it does support ARC and optical input, and you can even play Dolby Digital and DTS formats, the latter being convenient if you’re streaming content or watching Blu-rays. If you watch many films and shows that support Dolby Atmos, consider the TCL S45H. Unlike the Hisense, it can play that content, though it also downmixes it to stereo. It may sound louder with less compression at maximum volume but lacks a subwoofer, leading to a deficiency in deep bass and rumble.

Additional Recommendations

• Bose TV Speaker: A small soundbar that serves as a solid alternative to the Samsung HW-S60D, especially for stereo content like music and TV shows. However, it lacks Atmos support.
• Roku Streambar: Smaller than the Samsung HW-S60D, it’s suitable for tight spaces but falls short of sound quality compared to Samsung. Still, it performs well for dialogue-heavy and stereo sound.
• Sony HT-S100F: An affordable soundbar that may be louder than the Hisense HS2100 with less compression at maximum volume, but it doesn’t support DTS content that can sometimes be found on Blu-ray.
• TCL S55H: A stereo soundbar with a detachable subwoofer, yet the absence of a separate center channel may cause dialogues to sound less clear than the Samsung HW-B650. However, with the right setup, it exceeds expectations for its price.
• Vizio SV510X-0806: A budget soundbar with satellites and a detachable subwoofer, competing with the Hisense AX5125H. However, it has fewer connection ports and less balanced sound. On the upside, unlike the Hisense, it comes with an app.

Are you ready to transform your viewing experience?

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